DigiPlus partners with Pay&Go for e-wallet top ups
Philippine operator DigiPlus Interactive has partnered with payment kiosk operator Pay&Go, operated by BTI Payments Philippines, enabling BingoPlus users to top up their e-wallets more easily.
The agreement enables wallet loading at over 3,500 kiosks nationwide. It will initially focus on DigiPlus’ BingoPlus platform, with expansion to ArenaPlus and GameZone planned for the coming months. A cash-out feature is also planned for early in 2026.
The President of DigiPlus subsidiaries AB Leisure Exponent and Total Gamezone Xtreme, Jasper Vicenciom, said the deal was a step towards providing more accessible and secure payment options for users.
Meanwhile, Danilo Ibarra, Chief Executive of BTI Payments Philippines, emphasized that trust and security were at the heart of the partnership.
“We are excited to support DigiPlus with Pay&Go’s nationwide footprint. Together, we’re making trusted payment access available to more BingoPlus players across the country, and soon with ArenaPlus and GameZone. DigiPlus sets a high bar on player trust, and Pay&Go is determined to meet it,” Ibarra said.
According to the two companies, all of the payment services involved are certified by the Philippine central bank, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and comply with the rules of the national gambling regulator PAGCOR.
Earlier in the week, DigiPlus President Andy Tsui said that the group was looking to rebound from its poor third quarter earnings, focusing on retaining high-value users and providing more payment options.
Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
Verticals:
Sectors:
Topics:
Dig Deeper
Related stories
The Backstory
Why payment rails are suddenly center stage
DigiPlus Interactive’s new tie-up with Pay&Go lands at a pivotal moment for the Philippine operator’s business model. The company’s online brands—BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone—have relied on digital wallets for fast deposits and withdrawals. That channel changed overnight when the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas ordered e-wallets to delink from online gambling platforms in mid-August. In the weeks that followed, DigiPlus moved to rebuild its payments stack, stitching together cash-in options that comply with central bank rules and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.’s oversight.
The first major patch came through a retail network. DigiPlus tapped Bayad, the bills payment arm of Meralco, to provide over-the-counter deposits at more than 800 branches and partner outlets nationwide. The company framed the Bayad move as a safety-and-access play that would roll out withdrawals in stages. Read more on the shift to Bayad’s cash-in rails in DigiPlus partners with Bayad Center after e-wallet ban.
The Pay&Go integration extends that strategy by multiplying touchpoints. By leaning on thousands of kiosks across the country, DigiPlus is trying to replicate the convenience users lost when the largest e-wallets disconnected. It also sets up a roadmap for phased features, with cash-outs expected next year, as the company aligns access with compliance.
After the BSP directive, a scramble to rebuild
The central bank’s mandate for wallets to sever ties with gambling apps triggered a rapid industry reset. Even after major players complied, policymakers warned that operators might pivot to other apps or informal channels to preserve transaction flows. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged authorities to tighten enforcement across e-commerce and messaging platforms, citing risks to consumers if loopholes persisted. His call for broader coordination among PAGCOR and other agencies is detailed in Philippine senator calls for stricter enforcement of e-wallet directive.
For DigiPlus, the fallout raised immediate questions: how to keep loyal customers funded, and how to do it under stricter scrutiny. The Bayad partnership delivered a compliant, bank-accredited route for cash-ins. The Pay&Go link deepens that pivot by offering low-friction deposits that can reach far beyond Metro Manila. Together, these moves show the company shifting from predominantly app-based flows to an omnichannel mix of retail counters and kiosks—an approach that can scale geographically while staying inside the guardrails regulators expect.
The choice is also defensive. By anchoring transactions to supervised institutions and certified services, DigiPlus aims to reduce exposure to the stop-start risk of third-party app policies, which can change faster than regulation. If enforcement widens to more platforms, physical networks and bank-connected rails could provide a steadier backbone.
Compliance posture as competitive strategy
DigiPlus is lobbying for stronger standards even as it adapts to them. The company has publicly supported tighter rules for the sector, warning that an outright ban would push players to illegal sites and jeopardize jobs. It also says many of the safeguards lawmakers are weighing—KYC checks, deposit caps, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion—are already in place across its platforms. The stance and policy adjustments, including curbs on advertising, are outlined in DigiPlus backs stronger regulation in the Philippines igaming market.
That positioning serves two goals. At home, it aligns the operator with the direction of travel among regulators and legislators, potentially reducing political risk. In markets abroad, it helps make the case that DigiPlus can meet higher bar compliance. The PlaySafe Alliance the company spearheaded with other PAGCOR-accredited operators underscores the same message: industry-led standards can lift conduct and reduce harm. That narrative matters as the company seeks licenses and partnerships outside the Philippines.
Payments access and the international arc
DigiPlus is in the middle of its most ambitious expansion yet: a push into Brazil, one of the world’s largest and fastest-formalizing betting markets. The company plans to launch its first international brand, GamePlus, with a slate of local favorites and culturally tailored content. It has also flagged that BingoPlus will follow as a second platform in 2026. The rollout and market rationale are detailed in DigiPlus prepares to enter Brazil and the complementary announcement in DigiPlus announces Brazil launch for September.
The payments recalibration at home fits into this global plan. A company that can demonstrate it rebuilt reliable, compliant funding and withdrawal flows after a regulatory shock becomes a stronger candidate in markets where enforcement is tightening. Brazil’s regulated framework is evolving around know-your-customer protocols and responsible gaming standards, where diligence on payments is central. Showcasing resilient payments in the Philippines may help DigiPlus persuade Brazilian partners and regulators that its systems can scale without cutting corners.
Leadership hires also signal intent. DigiPlus named a Brazil country manager to lead local operations and build a team with legal and cultural expertise—an important step for compliance and product-market fit. For more on the appointment and remit, see DigiPlus’ announcement at DigiPlus appoints country manager for Brazil operations. The company has also applied for licenses in South Africa, suggesting a multi-region agenda that will test how portable its responsible gaming protocol and payments architecture are.
What to watch: liquidity, trust and the next mile
The near-term test is whether retail and kiosk channels can maintain liquidity as seamlessly as e-wallets did. Cash-ins are only half the equation; the staged rollout of cash-outs will determine how quickly players regain full account functionality. Scaling to ArenaPlus and GameZone will also matter: sports and casual titles can drive different transaction patterns than online bingo, with peaks that stress customer support and fraud detection.
Regulatory risk remains a constant variable. Lawmakers calling for deeper enforcement could restrict additional conduits, raising the bar for verification and transaction monitoring. DigiPlus is betting that aligning early with the strongest interpretation of the rules will pay off in credibility and continuity. If the strategy holds, the company can stabilize its domestic base and present a cleaner story to overseas audiences.
The bigger picture is market structure. As more payment nodes come under regulator oversight, operators with the capital and compliance muscle to integrate certified partners quickly could pull ahead. The Pay&Go and Bayad arrangements move DigiPlus in that direction. If cash-outs arrive on schedule and the Brazil launch lands cleanly, the company will have converted a payments shock into a case for resilience—at home and in its new target markets.
